Medical Coding Specialists

By Kent Pinkerton

Medical careers can be related to the manufacturing, administrative and management fields of medicine. Among all the careers, one of the most intriguing and interesting fields is that of medical coding. Medical coding is a boon to the medical industry; it saves time, money, and effort, and cuts down on the sheer amount of data that is necessary to keep medical records straight for the billions of people who receive medical care.

The profession of medical coding uses alpha-numeric codes to specific illnesses, injuries, and medical procedures. This process of assigning codes is done under the system of a particular rule of coding that is used across the world, from doctors' offices and hospitals to insurance companies and federal agencies. These codes are greatly utilized by the hospitals, nursing homes, labs and by the doctors for internal data collection and other planning objectives.

The job of medical coding specialists is to read and review medical documentation provided by physicians and other health care professionals. The coding specialists then provide details of the disease, injuries, surgical operations, and other procedures, but this decision is entirely up to the specialists. Then, this detailed information is translated into numeric codes. They assign special as well as general diagnostic and procedural codes by the use of a universally recognizable coding system. By the help of this code system, one has to fulfill the responsibility to insure correct code selection for all the regulations, and has to abide by the federal regulation and insurance requirements. These codes render great use in reimbursement of hospital and physician claims for various insurance payments.

Medical Coding provides detailed information on Medical Coding, Medical Coding Salaries, Medical Coding Certification, Medical Coding Specialists and more. Medical Coding is affiliated with Medical Billing Services.

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Medical Coding Certification

By Kent Pinkerton

Careers in medical fields are full of responsibilities, and dexterity in the specialized line of medical affairs is important. As time goes by, a career in the medical profession becomes more of a challenge, adventure and competition.

A medical career is often the most admired career of the world. A medical career is humanitarian, noble and is undoubtedly holds a very bright future for those who are after it. In terms of money, this field is promising. But in order to get into the medical arena, one has to have the patience and spend time in places like medical school, learning human anatomy and biology. The medical world has become a hive of inventions, discoveries and knowledge, based on up-to-date awareness. Therefore, it requires more knowledge to get established as a professional.

In recent days the coding industry offers many career opportunities to those who have certificates in coding. Starting from physician's offices and hospitals to healthcare plans, medical coding certification finds its way into the industry. There are a few organizations that provide certificates in medical coding. One of them is the AHIMA (American Health Information Management Association), which has provided over 50,000 certified medical coders with proper certification. Broadly, there are three types of certificates issued by most of the organizations in the field of medical coding. They are:

(a) Certified Coding Associate (CCA)

(b) Certified Coding Specialist (CCS) and

(c) Certified Coding Specialist-Physician-based (CCS-P)

Other providers of such certificates are the University of Phoenix, Boston University, Center for Professional Education, University of Connecticut, University of Massachusetts – U Mass Online, Netcom Information Technology, Sacramento State University, Northern Illinois University and many others.

Medical Coding provides detailed information on Medical Coding, Medical Coding Salaries, Medical Coding Certification, Medical Coding Specialists and more. Medical Coding is affiliated with Medical Billing Services.

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Medical Billing Careers

By Tony Jacowski

Since time immemorial, a career in medicine has been looked upon with prestige, and people consider it humanitarian and noble. A career in medicine calls for a lot of responsibility and the ability to update one's knowledge on the evolving medical technology. With the passage of time and innovation in the field of science, the medical profession is becoming very challenging. There are a number of fields within the medical career, such as Healthcare Administration, Healthcare Management, Medical Insurance Billing, Medical Office Billing and several others.

Basic Requirements For Medical Billing

The job of medical billing involves a lot of hard work and vast knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy, coding and proper completion of forms. In addition, you need to have basic computer knowledge and a typing speed of at least 35 words per minute. A good temperament is another important characteristic that the person needs to possess, since he is required to deal with a number of patients, their attendants, doctors, medical representatives and other office personnel.

Job Outlook And Employment Opportunities

Medical billing is one of the fastest growing careers in healthcare. The importance of medical billing personnel is on the rise, since several insurance companies and the government are continuously spending substantial time and money to nix fraud and abusive practices. Due to this demand, various companies and practices are constantly on the lookout for trained and experienced medical billers. Personnel could find positions with doctors, hospitals, nursing homes, insurance companies, legal offices, rehabilitation centers, legal offices and consulting firms or they could also work independently.

They could set up an electronic billing system through their personal computers. Independent medical billers can also work as insurance specialists and consultants. The job is lucrative and revolves around helping patients and medical professionals calculate their insurance bills.

Some of the other job opportunities that are included within medical billing are as follows:

- Billing Specialist
- Coding Specialist
- Medical Collector
- Patient Account Representative
- Claims Analyst
- Claims Processor
- Reimbursement Specialist
- Claims Reviewer
- Electronic Claims Processor
- Billing Coordinator
- Claims Assistant Professional

Work Culture

The work culture of medical billers is usually part of an office setup. More often than not, the personnel do not work in close proximity to where patients are diagnosed. They generally have billing offices and services in large corporate buildings, in small suburban offices and in the offices of doctors. They usually work during the day, from Monday to Friday, forty hours a week. However, there are times when, in insurance companies, they are required to work late at night. They are paid well for working overtime and their services are much appreciated by the medical establishment and patients alike.

Source: Free Articles

About the author
Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solution's Six Sigma Online ( http://www.sixsigmaonline.org ) offers online six sigma training and certification classes for lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.

Consider Medical Billing for a Home-based Career

Author: Ray La Foy

How many of you have heard of medical billing as a very profitable work at home business opportunity? If you haven't, then it's time to know that it has evolved into a serious income generator for many people.

First of all, what are the advantages of medical billing careers? To put it simply, they are countless. First of all, they give you the advantage of working at home, at your own hours. Imagine yourself waking every morning at about 9A.M. Or it can be 10 or 11, whatever you prefer.

You get up, drink a soda and go for a short run. Then you come back home, take a shower, and start working. Again, that is only if you feel like it. If you don't, you can read the local newspaper and then get on your job. It is really your own pace, your own schedule.

The truth is that a lot of people wish to be able to tell their bosses what to do with their workplace. To be permanently stressed whether your boss likes you or not is not fun. Many people would like nothing more than to be their own bosses, without having to follow anther person's orders.

Most of all, you need to have your own reasons for starting medical billing. Either you want to be near your family, you want to have your own hours or you just feel like it, you need to be sure what you are looking for. Medical billing is not that hard, but it's not easy either. And make no mistake, it can be a money bringer as well as a career.

You need some skills in order to be able to do medical billing. First of all, you need to be up to date with the medical code. Then, you also need to be informed about the billing code and to have at least some medical experience. Now you didn't think it was that easy, did you?

Also, you have to set it up as a business, a small business that is. You want to be able to pay taxes and have insurance, even to make a name. As you gain more and more experience, you get more and more credit and contracts as a consequence.

But who is looking for this kind of service? Over the past decades, incredible growth in information technology has led to a huge boost in the growth of new jobs, creating new business opportunities, and that is tru especially in administrative or office jobs that no longer have to be done from a cubicle or office.

Medical billing falls into this category. There are software programs especially designed for medical billing and which you can find all over the Internet, and some of them are even available for free download at various online sites.

With all the great advancements made today including high-speed internet service, voip phone service and various outsourcing sites, there's nolonger any important obstacle that is stopping you from taking the plunge into the work at home medical billing field.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/careers-articles/consider-medical-billing-for-a-homebased-career-125707.html

About the Author:
More information on medical billing procedures, policies and careers: Medical billing. http://www.medicalbillingapp.com Medical billing career opportunities available today: Medical billing FAQ. http://www.medicalbillingfaq.com

How To Choose The Best Medical Billing Training And Get Financial Aid

Author: Helen Hecker

If you're thinking about starting or advancing your medical coding and medical billing training, there are many online training courses available today. These courses can provide you with training in using medical billing software, in insurance regulations, and exposure to the healthcare environment.

Online courses are not for everyone, but if you like to study at your own pace, and you don't live near a college that has a medical coding and medical billing training program, or if you can't attend classes for any other reason, then online may be the right solution for you. If you do have local schools that have a program then you'll want to compare them to online courses.

Once you've decided that getting a medical billing job or starting a home based medical billing business is what you really want to do as a career choice then your best bet will be to take an on-campus or online program that will give you a good education, a certificate of completion when you're done, is convenient for you with a reasonable cost.

Programs and courses differ from one school to another. Medical billing training courses should take you less than two years to complete. If you're also studying to be a nationally certified medical coder too it can come close to two years depending on the school you choose.

Programs and courses shouldn't be too expensive. Learning to become a home based medical biller is not difficult so a medical billing training course shouldn't cost more than $700, some can cost much less. Note that you shouldn't be rushed to finish the material. You should be able to learn at your own pace. Since everyone learns differently there should be no time restrictions attached to a course.

Make sure to compare costs. If you need financial aid there is some federal money available for online degree programs. Check and see if it applies to you and your situation.

Medical billing training companies that offer courses shouldn't restrict you from speaking to other students and alumni who have taken their courses. These referrals are important because you can find out how successful they've become after taking the course whether they were pursuing a job in the health field or starting a work-at-home business. The school should be happy to provide you with this information. If not, explore other options.

Find out what the course you're considering consists of. Most beginners don't know what courses are required or necessary and may find that after they finish that they have to spend even more money taking additional courses to get them to where they want to be. So don't waste time and money, find out first before you sign up.

Today health information specialists and medical billers/coders are trained professional members of the business and operations staff of today's health care industry with medical billing training and medical coding training. Make sure to get the facts and do your research online before you commit.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/online-education-articles/how-to-choose-the-best-medical-billing-training-and-get-financial-aid-369985.html

About the Author:
For info on choosing the best medical billing training and finding the best medical billing business online courses, college, work at home and financing go to http://www.MedicalBillingTrainingInfo.com a nurse's website for tips including medical billing schools